


solace

by lovely_ericas



Series: a little bit louder now verse [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adopted Children, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Desi Potter Family, Gen, Grandchildren, Grandparents & Grandchildren, POC Potters, Potter grandchildren, Telugu Potters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-18 18:05:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10622253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovely_ericas/pseuds/lovely_ericas
Summary: The arrival of her new baby sisters has put Leah out of sorts and she goes looking for someone who'll understand and comfort her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is not all that relevant to this story, so can be disregarded for the casual reader's enjoyment, but this work is part of a verse that has renamed the Potter children as follows: Simon James, Alfred Sirius, and Ruby Lily Luna.
> 
> See the end notes for some notes on Telugu familial names.

_Crash!_

“Leah!” Leah’s mum is shouting at her because she’s made a loud mess and knocked her toy cauldron onto the floor when she’s supposed to be quiet ‘cause the babies are sleeping. “What did I tell you about making noise?”

One of the babies starts to cry in the other room and then very quickly the other one joins in.

“Leah Potter, why can’t you listen when I tell you something!” Mum says, making that huffing sound she makes when she’s annoyed. She leaves the room to go soothe the twins.

Leah hears her cooing at the babies and frowns. She wishes she had something noisy to knock over again.

Aunty Rachel says babies make mums cross and that Leah’s mum will be nice again once she’s gotten more sleep. But Mum’s cross with Leah, not the annoying babies. She only pays attention to Leah to get mad at her.

Leah stomps over to the fireplace and drags a chair over so she can reach the shelf on top. She opens the tin of Floo powder and grabs a fistful. She holds it carefully in one hand and climbs down from the chair with the other hand.

She isn’t supposed to use the fireplace or go anywhere without Mum or Daddy but Leah isn’t a baby. She’s going to run away and Mum won’t know where she is and then Mum will be sorry!

Leah throws her fistful of powder into the fireplace and jumps in.

“Potter place!” Leah shouts and squishes her eyes shut.

The spinning stops and Leah opens her eyes. It worked!

She’s at Tata and Nana’s!

Leah scrambles out of the fireplace. There’s dust on her jumper. Tata and Nana’s fireplace is dustier than Mum and Daddy’s.

“Tata! Nana!” She calls out.

“Is that my Leah?” Tata calls back.

Leah grins and runs in his direction.

Tata is sitting on a cozy armchair in the living room with a blanket wrapped around his legs. The fire is crackling and there is a book in Tata’s lap that he’s holding open with one hand.

“Hello, my Leah.” Tata says. He carefully bookmarks his page and closes the book. “What a pleasant surprise. Your mum didn’t tell me you were coming.”

“What are you reading, Tata?” Leah asks, climbing onto the chair to sit in his lap.

“I’m reading a book your Nanna’s Atta Hermione recommended for me.” Tata says as he sets the book on the end table next to him to make more room for Leah on the chair.

“I like reading.” Leah says. “What’s Atta Hermione’s book about?”

“Well,” Tata says, trying to think how best to explain. “This book is about the law in different countries, Leah, and how we might be able to learn from other places to improve our laws here.”

Leah wrinkles her noise. “That sounds like the boring stuff Mum reads sometimes. I like stories best!”

Tata chuckles. “Me too, Leah, me too. Now what would you say to some biscuits and tea?”

Leah beams. “I love biscuits and tea!”

“Alright, then,” Tata says. “Why don’t you climb down and go find your Nana outside to tell her we’re having tea and biscuits and I’ll get the tea things ready in the kitchen?”

Leah likes this plan. She likes that when she’s at Tata and Nana’s, they do whatever she wants to do. Leah doesn’t have to ask about the things she wants to do because they already want to do them!

She pushes open the back door open carefully and with some effort. “Nana!” Leah calls out. “Where are you?”

“I’m here, Leah.” Nana calls. Leah finds her sitting under a big oak tree, looking out onto the horizon.

“Hullo, Nana.” Leah says. “Why are you sitting under a tree?”

“I like trees.” Nana says. “Don’t you? The view is beautiful from here. Come sit down with me, Leah.”

Leah isn’t sure if she likes trees. She’d never thought about it. She sits down next to Nana.

“Look at the blue of the sky, Leah. See the different greens of the trees up on the hill.” Nana says, pointing.

Leah follows Nana’s finger to the trees at the top of the hill. “Do you like to climb trees, Nana?” Leah asks. That’s the only use Leah can see for trees that don't grow fruit.

Nana chuckles. “I do, though it’s been awhile since I’ve climbed one. Your father used to be a great one for climbing trees. Your Aunt Ruby as well.”

“Mum didn’t climb trees ever, did she, Nana?” Leah asks, kicking up her feet because the grass tickles her toes.

“Well, now,” Nana says, thinking. “It’s true you take after your dad much more than your mother and your mother was never one for climbing trees. But I’m sure she climbed a few trees in her day.”

Leah clambers to her feet. “Tata and I are going to have tea and biscuits, Nana. Want to come in and have some?”

“That’s very kind of you, my love. I’ll be along in a bit but you and your grandad can get started without me.” Nana promises.

Leah runs back inside the house, liking the feel of grass on the bottom of her feet.

“Tata!” She says, breathless. Tata lets her into the kitchen. He’s already set the table and he’s put out Leah’s favorite cup.

“So, what’s your Nana say? Is she going to join us?” Tata asks as Leah crams two sunnundalu into her mouth at once. “Slow down, Leah!” Tata warns. “The sunnundalu aren’t going anywhere, I promise.”

Leah nods, her cheeks full of sunnundalu as though she were a chipmunk. When she finishes chewing and swallowing, she says, “Nana’s coming soon. She said we could start without her.” She reaches for her pink and gold cup. Nana told her it used to belong to Aunt Ruby.

Tata fiddles with the plate of iced biscuits. “Now, I don’t recall your mum or dad telling us you were coming.” He says again. He waits for Leah to finish her sip of chai.

“I came by myself.” Leah says, drinking more of her chai. She reaches for an iced biscuit.

“Your mother’s going to murder me for spoiling your appetite,” Tata mutters. He clears his throat and blows on his own cup of chai. “What made you decide to come for a visit then?” Tata asks.

Leah shrugs. She dunks one end of the biscuit in her cup of chai and then crunches on it. “I dunno. Felt like it.”

Tata passes her a napkin. Leah wipes up her spill. If it was Mum, she’d probably be yelling about Leah making a mess.

Leah wipes her face with the napkin like Mum taught her to. “Mum said I was being noisy.” She says.

“I see.” Tata says, picking up a biscuit. “Why weren’t you supposed to be noisy?”

Leah scowls. “Because of the babies."

Tata’s face clears like he’s understood something. “Don’t you want to be an akka, Leah?” He asks.

“No!” Leah says fiercely. “The babies are loud and noisy and I have to be quiet an’ they get all the attention and make Mum yell.”

“They won’t be noisy and loud forever, my Leah.” Tata says. “Your Nanna wasn’t very happy when Al and Ruby were born but he loves them very much now.”

“Yeah.” Leah says, looking away from Tata. “But Nana’s Daddy’s real mum. Mum and Daddy aren’t my real parents.”

“Says who?” Tata demands, frowning.

Leah frowns, confused. Does Tata not know? “My real parents are Muggles ‘n’ they’re dead, Tata.” She says, sadly.

“Yes.” Tata agrees. “It’s true that your birth parents were Muggles and they did die, tragically. But my Leah, what do you mean Simon and Hillary aren’t your real parents?”

“Well,” Leah kicks the table leg. “Mum didn’t give birth to me like Addie and Mari. She yells at me for upsetting them. She likes them better.”

“Your mum and dad picked you, Leah. They want you very much. They are your real parents because they’re the ones who put you to bed and tell you stories and cuddle you close when you have a nightmare. They make you eat your vegetables because they’re good for you. They’re having some trouble with your sisters right now because they’re not used to having babies and their Leah arrived knowing how to talk and walk and eat all by herself. But they want you, Leah. They chose you and because they chose you, you are their real daughter, just like your Nana and I are your real Tata and Nana and your grandad is your real Grandad. Nothing will change that, my Leah. Never. Nothing could.” Tata reaches across the table and holds Leah’s hand. “Do you hear me, Leah?”

Leah nods, her heart filling full. Somehow, she can’t talk.

“And,” Tata adds. “Those two little girls are going to be so proud to have an akka like you, my Leah. They’re going to brag about their big sister, just how amazing she is.”

The door opens. It’s Nana. “Harry,” she says. “We weren’t expecting Leah for the afternoon, were we?”

Tata shakes his head. “We were not.” He agrees.

Nana shakes her head. “That’s what I thought. I better let Hillary know her daughter’s safe before someone winds up grievously injured.” She heads to the fireplace.

Leah climbs off her chair and runs around the table to Tata. She hugs him as hard as she can. Tata puts his arms around her.

She hears Nana talking to Mum.

“I am so sorry, Ginny,” Mum is saying. “I snapped at her and I knew she was upset but I didn’t realize she’d do something like this.”

“It’s no trouble.” Nana responds. “Harry and I are always happy to have her.”

Tata brings her to the living room, holding her hand. Mum opens her arms wide and Leah runs into them.

“I’m so glad that you’re alright, Leah.” Mum says, hugging her very tightly. “I’m very sorry I yelled at you, darling, but never do that again. Your father and I were frantic with worry.”

Mum escorts Leah into the fireplace and through the flames. Daddy’s sitting on the couch looking worried. When he sees them, he jumps up and hugs Leah very tightly too.

Years later, Addie confesses that she’s always felt like Leah’s more Mum and Daddy’s daughter than she or Mari on account of she was there first. 

For now, Mum kisses Leah. “You’re my baby. I picked you first and I’d pick you again, Leah love. You’re ours. Our real little girl. Forever.”

Leah believes her.

**Author's Note:**

> Chai means tea in Hindi (and a number of other languages). The [wikipedia article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai) talks about tea in South Asia. Hyderabadi or irani chai is a specific type of chai made in the Indian state of Telangana. You can see a recipe [here](http://www.parsicuisine.com/irani-chai/).
> 
> Sunnundallu are a type of laddu made in the Telugu-speaking state of Andhra Pradesh. Laddu are ball-shaped sweets made of flour, minced dough and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe. Sunnundalu are made with white lentils and cardamom seeds. You can see a recipe [here](http://indianhealthyrecipes.com/sunnundalu-recipe/).
> 
> Leah calls Harry ‘Tata’ which is transliterated Telugu for grandfather. I have also seen it transliterated as ‘Tatayya’ or Tathayya’. Leah calls Ginny Nana which is not transliterated Telugu for anything and refers to her parents as Mum and Daddy most often. Occasionally, she might refer to them as Mum and Nanna.
> 
> Harry refers to Leah’s dad as her ‘Nanna’ which is transliterated Telugu for father. ‘Atta’ is transliterated Telugu for ‘Aunt’ and I’ve chosen to have Harry refer to Hermione as Leah’s dad’s aunt simply because I have not been able to find an exact Telugu transliteration for great-aunt. Harry asks Leah if she'd like to be an 'Akka' which is transliterated Telugu for elder sister. I’ve decided to rely on the UC Davis [website](http://web.cs.ucdavis.edu/~vemuri/classes/freshman/family.htm) for these spellings.  
> I am trying to learn Telugu but at the moment know next to nothing. Please let me know if anything is incorrect.


End file.
